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punktfunk/docs/windows-service.md
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feat(host): GameStream/Moonlight compat is now opt-in (--gamestream) — secure native-only by default
Follows the security audit (#5/#9): the GameStream-compat plane carries inherent on-path weaknesses
that can't be fixed on the wire without breaking stock Moonlight — its pairing runs over plain HTTP
(#9, MITM-able during the pairing window) and its legacy control encryption can reuse GCM nonces (#5,
a passive eavesdropper can recover/forge input). The native punktfunk/1 plane (SPAKE2 PIN pairing +
per-direction AEAD nonces) has neither. So flip the default to secure-by-default:

- `serve`              → native punktfunk/1 plane + management API ONLY (no GameStream surface).
- `serve --gamestream` → ALSO the GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes (nvhttp pairing, RTSP, ENet
  control, _nvstream mDNS). Opt-in, logged with a trusted-LAN caveat. `--moonlight` is an alias.
- The native plane is now ALWAYS on in `serve` (`--native` is a kept-for-compat no-op); the unified
  GameStream+native host is `serve --gamestream`.

`gamestream::serve` gates the GameStream spawns (nvhttp/rtsp/control/mdns) on the flag; the native
plane + mgmt + native-pairing handle always run.

To avoid silently regressing validated Moonlight deployments, the explicit deployment configs PRESERVE
Moonlight via `--gamestream` (each documents dropping it for a secure native-only host): the Linux
systemd unit, the Steam Deck installer, and the Windows service default (DEFAULT_HOST_CMD). The bare
`serve` default (new/manual use) is secure.

Docs swept to match (host-cli, moonlight, quickstart, install, packaging READMEs, CLAUDE.md, README,
…): Moonlight setup now instructs `--gamestream`; native/console refs use bare `serve`. OpenAPI
regenerated (a stale "run `serve --native`" string). fmt + clippy clean; 94 host tests green.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-06-21 10:19:40 +00:00

5.0 KiB

Windows service (deployment)

The PunktfunkHost Windows service is the end-user way to run the host on Windows. It replaces the manual bring-up chain (a scheduled task → PsExec64 -s -i 1wscript launch.vbshost-run.cmd) with one command, auto-start on boot, and supervision.

Download the signed installer from the package registry (punktfunk-host-windows, https://git.unom.io/unom/-/packages) and run it (it elevates itself):

punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe              # wizard
punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe /VERYSILENT  # unattended

It lays the host into C:\Program Files\punktfunk, optionally installs the bundled SudoVDA virtual-display driver, then runs service install + service start for you. Upgrades stop the service first and re-point it; uninstall (Add/Remove Programs) runs service uninstall. Packaging details: packaging/windows/README.md. A self-signed CI build also publishes a .cer — import it once (Import-Certificate -FilePath punktfunk-host-windows.cer -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\TrustedPublisher) so Windows trusts the signed setup.

Install (manual / CLI)

From an elevated (Administrator) prompt:

punktfunk-host service install   # register auto-start LocalSystem service + firewall rules + default host.env
punktfunk-host service start     # start it now (also starts automatically on every boot)

service install is idempotent — run it again after upgrading the exe to re-point the service at the new binary. Register whatever location you keep the exe in (e.g. C:\Program Files\punktfunk\); the service records the current exe path.

Other subcommands:

punktfunk-host service stop
punktfunk-host service status
punktfunk-host service uninstall   # stop + delete the service + remove its firewall rules

How it works

The host must run as SYSTEM in the interactive session (Session 1+): Desktop Duplication of the secure desktop (UAC / lock / login) and SendInput need SYSTEM, and capture/injection need the interactive session, which a plain Session-0 service is not in.

So the service (itself in Session 0) never captures. On start, and whenever the active console session changes, it:

  1. resolves the active console session (WTSGetActiveConsoleSessionId),
  2. duplicates its own LocalSystem token and retargets it to that session (SetTokenInformation TokenSessionId),
  3. launches the host there with CreateProcessAsUserW (lpDesktop = winsta0\default),
  4. supervises it: relaunches on exit/crash (with backoff) and on a console connect/disconnect.

A kill-on-close job object ensures a service crash never orphans the SYSTEM host. The host in turn spawns the WGC helper into the user session (see windows-secure-desktop.md) — two nested launches. Lock/unlock are handled inside the host (the DesktopWatcher DDA↔WGC mux), so the service deliberately does not relaunch on lock/unlock — only on a real session switch.

This is the same model Sunshine/Apollo use.

Configuration

Config lives in %ProgramData%\punktfunk\host.env (KEY=VALUE lines, # comments). service install writes a default if none exists. Template: scripts/windows/host.env.example.

PUNKTFUNK_ENCODER=nvenc
PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_SOURCE=virtual
PUNKTFUNK_SECURE_DDA=1
RUST_LOG=info
# PUNKTFUNK_HOST_CMD=serve --gamestream    # the host subcommand the service launches (default: native + Moonlight)

The service loads these into its environment and carries PUNKTFUNK_* + RUST_LOG to the host child (the same env-merge the WGC helper uses). Restart the service after editing:

punktfunk-host service stop; punktfunk-host service start

The host's identity (cert/pairing/mgmt token/library) also lives under %ProgramData%\punktfunk — a machine-wide dir the SYSTEM service and the interactive user share, surviving user logout. PUNKTFUNK_CONFIG_DIR overrides the location (both platforms; handy for tests).

Logs

  • %ProgramData%\punktfunk\logs\service.log — the service's own supervision log (spawn/exit/session switches).
  • %ProgramData%\punktfunk\logs\host.log — the host child's stdout/stderr.

Prerequisites

  • The host built with --features nvenc for NVENC (the driver ships nvEncodeAPI64.dll; no SDK needed at runtime). Software encode otherwise.
  • The SudoVDA indirect display driver installed (for PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_SOURCE=virtual).
  • ViGEmBus for virtual gamepads (optional).

Gotchas

  • service install/uninstall need an elevated prompt (the SCM rejects non-admin).
  • service run is the SCM entry point — don't run it by hand (it errors with a hint).
  • A graceful stop currently TerminateProcesses the host, so its RAII teardown (SudoVDA monitor REMOVE) doesn't run; a stale virtual monitor can linger until the next start. A cooperative-stop signal is a follow-up.